The Bet
by oliigleegirl1124
Summary: Santana has Puck ask Rachel out to humiliate her at Prom, but her idea might not go as planned. OC puckelberry/britanna
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

"Eight ball right corner pocket."

"Damn it Puck! Can't you ever let me win?" With only a smug grin as a reply, Noah Puckerman leaned over the pool table and aimed his cue. His friend Mike responded for him, piping up from his place on the basement's overstuffed couch. "You know better than that, Santana," Mike said with a chuckle. "Letting someone win isn't in Puck's nature. He's Mr. Competitive".

The next sound heard was that of the cue ball careening off the black eight, ricocheting it toward its final resting place. Puck's grin turned triumphant as he glanced up at his opponent. "Well, Lopez? It _was_ ten bucks, I believe?"

Santana Lopez folded her arms across her chest, pouting, then reached into her jeans for the money. Mike and Matt, playing the latest version of Madden Football **(A/N don't own it),** laughed at her disappointment. "That's what you get for trying to beat Puckerman at anything," Matt called, though his words were barley understandable through a mouthful of chips. "Pool, cards, football – it's all the same. Dude's unstoppable. Seriously, Puck, why wait until homecoming, they oughta give you the MVP trophy now!"

Ignoring the comment, Puck shrugged and kept his gaze on the teenaged girl across from him. "Forget the bet San. I just got lucky anyways." He said holding out his hand for a sportsmanlike handshake.

"Lucky? I didn't sink a single solitary ball!" Santana swept her arm towards the mahogany pool table, where the multitudes of solid colored balls were evidence of her poor skill. "You could've at least given me a handicap."

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, you're the one who said you could play."

"I can!" Santana lifted her chin. "I've beaten Matt plenty of times."

This made Puck and Mike burst into laughter. "Yeah," Mike said with a snort. "Like that's hard."

"HEY!" Matt responded indignantly, a little late on the uptake.

Santana joined in on the laughter as she and Puck placed their long wooden cues in the rack on the wall. "Okay fine, how about Ping-Pong? I know I can beat you at that."

Puck was about to agree, but Mike interrupted quickly by lifting his X-box controller. "C'mon dude, I just demolished Matt and can use some real competition. Didn't you wanna get some football practice before homecoming next week?"

Santana joined the boys on the large sectional that formed a semi-circle on front of the television, and wasted no time reclining back and kicking up her feet on the coffee table. "Yeah like playing virtual football is real practice." She scoffed.

"Actually, there's a lot of strategy involved." Puck explained, fixing his hazel eyes on the action in front of him as he manipulated the controller expertly.

"Strategy. A video game. Please." Santana took a sip of her water and played with the fabric of her shirt as she watched the three boys play the intense game of virtual football. "You want strategy? Let's talk about getting some revenge on Rachel Berry already."

The three young men shared glances but only Matt spoke up, "Your obsessed with her, y'know that San? Its senior year; our time to rule. Why waste it thinking about some chick who bugged you one time in like junior high?"

"Junior high? Hello, it was only last year that that smug little witch ruined everything for me!"

Mike, sitting on Puck's left and the farthest from Santana, muttered out of the side of his mouth, "Here we go again."

"What did you say Mike?" Santana demanded.

"Nothing important." Mike said looking down.

"C'mon San," Puck said, hoping to get the violent girl's attention away from Mike. "Be fair, it wasn't Rachel's fault you were kicked off the Cheerios. You told me yourself you didn't show up to like one practice. What else was Coach Sylvester supposed to do? It was like you didn't want to be a part of the team. So she gave the captains position to Rachel instead of you…I say she earned it whether or not you were dropped from the squad."

She took a deep breath before she spoke, and the three boys felt the tension in the large room.

"I did _so _want to be on that squad. I just don't think those silly practices were necessary. Im one hundred times better than any of those little freaks, epically man hands." When mike snickered, Santana whipped her head around to glare at him. "And if you disagree with me, then you can get out of my house – and make sure you leave the beer and chips you're scarfing down!"

Mike muttered a "sorry" and took another handful of chips and a quick swig of beer. Satisfied, Santana sank back down into the sofa cushion and eyed Puck's hot bod beside her. "You know what a goody-two-shoes she is, Puck. Aren't you the one who's been on her case since sixth grade? Well, I think we really need to teach her a lesson. This _is _our final year at William McKinley. We should give her something to remember us by."

"Can we not talk about Rachel like she's wasn't my best friend?" Puck responded, as his virtual quarterback threw a perfect spiral pass to the receiver for another touchdown.

"Okay we won't talk about your precious _Rachel_ anymore, "Santana said meaningfully. When Puck tossed a quizzical glance at her she looked away. "I mean, we know all about your history with Rachel."

"You make it sound like she and I…" the young man shrugged, hoping the flush burning his face didn't show in the light of the T.V. screen. "We've known each other since the womb, we were close ok?" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and continued to play the game.

"All the more reason to plan something devious," Santana said as a wicked smile spread across her face.

"Ummm… what did you have in mind San?" Puck asked worried about the answer he'd get.

"Not sure about that lover-boy, just something to knock that little-miss-popularity down a few pegs that's all. Nothing too life threatening." She mused.

Puck took a long wary look at her devilish expression, "You're officially creeping me the fuck out here. You're not gonna like dump fucking pigs blood on her…are you?" he asked. Santana looked at him with a creepy smile and he looked at her in disbelief, "I don't believe you! Jesus Christ! You're seriously thinking about this?"

"Well not pigs blood specifically…more like blue raspberry slushie or cherry red, that stains the worst, oh oh I know, _all_ the flavors! It'll be just like Gay Boy Kurt threw up on her! We'll get her up on stage and, SPLAT! " by this time Santana was howling with laughter. The three boys were looking up at her in disbelief that she was actually thinking such things.

Sighing, Puck looked back at the television. It seemed whenever Santana wasn't hanging out with Brittnay, she was always making up different ways to knock Rachel of the High School hierarchy ladder. "Look San, I know your…_creative_, when it comes to pulling shit, but how do you think you'll even get Rachel on a fucking stage? It's not like she'll win prom queen, you know she isn't in to that stuff."

That put a stop to the Latina's howling laughter, and she had her 'thinking face' on. "I know exactly how we'll get her on stage. You are going to ask her out and act like the perfect little boyfriend and then you'll talk her into going to prom with you and then when you get crowned she'll get coated in rainbow slushie! Nobody will want to even associate themselves with her anymore and little Miss. Quinn Fabray won't have anybody to follow around like a little lost puppy because Rachel won't be on top anymore; I will." There was an evil glint in the girl's eyes that scared the three football players in the room.

"San, don't you think you're taking things to the extreme? What if Rachel doesn't win prom queen, hell what if she doesn't even say yes to this "date" you have planned? Did you ever think about that?" Puck taunted.

"I know that you two will win prom King and Queen because you're the most popular people in the school. On the other hand you're right, why would perfect, head Cheerio Rachel Berry go out with the man-whore Noah Puckerman? Let's make this more interesting, you get her to go out with you by March then you have to join the glee club, and don't even say you cant sing because you have sung along to the radio in my car more times than I can count. So do we have ourselves a deal?" Santana held out her hand waiting for him to shake it. Puck looked back at Mike and Matt, and then back at Santana.

"Guys I don't like this, Rachel isn't even that bad, she bought me lunch when Tina broke up with me." Mike said hesitantly, looking between Puck and Santana.

"Yeah San, don't you think this is a little extreme?" Puck said hopefully trying to pull himself out of this crazy scheme.

"Extreme? You've made it your mission to irritate the girl at every opportunity. How better to do it than humiliate her on prom night?" Santana's eyes narrowed in jealousy, "And since when are you so protective of her?"

"Im not. I just don't think she's really done anything to deserve something quite so" Santana interrupted him.

"Puck! She got me kicked off the Cheerios! Do you know how hard it was to schmooze Coach Sylvester into making me Captain! Forever! And remember what she did back in Junior high?"

"Fine, you've got yourself a deal." He shook her hand.

She stood up, "Okay see you babies later I'm goin to Britt-Britt's house to get our mack on…let yourselves out." she left her own house with all three boys jaws slacking.

**Hope you guys like the prologue! Im gonna be writing this story in Puck and Rachel's POV so the next chapter will be Rachel's POV. Plz read and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**WOW! I was really surprised at how many alerts and favorites I had received after only one day! Thank you guys so much I was really inspired so I started writing this chapter early…hope you guys like it ENJOY **

Homecoming week at William McKinley High was in full swing, and the seniors 'ruled the school' as they sailed into victory each day of class competitions. Monday started out with Jell-O wrestling, the week continued with a game of tug-of-war on Tuesday, a _Fear Factor _**(don't own it)** competition on Wednesday, a flex-off on Thursday, and a highly competitive dance-off the day of Friday night's big game. Anticipation grew as the Friday night homecoming football game against their cross-town rivals neared. When the last bell rang Friday afternoon, the hallways spilled over with boisterous teens chattering excitedly about the game and the dance to follow.

Noah 'Puck' Puckerman swagged his way silently through the hall holding a spiral notebook open in his hands, reviewing and rehearsing in his mind the various plays his team would run that night. Paying no attention to the students scurrying out of his way, he ran right into a red locker door just as it swung open.

"SHIT!" he said, looking up from the book he was holding, and using the other hand to rub a red bump growing on his forehead.

"What the…? Oh. It's you," a female voice muttered.

"Nice, Rachel. Swing that open on purpose?"

Rachel Berry stood back from her locker to get a better look at her arch-nemesis. She was already wearing her cheerleading uniform, which perfectly set off her attractive figure. If she'd been anyone else, Puck would have spoken up to praise her appearance.

"Hardly. It's not my fault you don't know where you're going. On the bright side, maybe it will knock some sense into that thick skull."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"I couldn't be more serious," she said curtly as she pulled some books from her locker and slammed the door shut. Turning on her heel, she hurried down the hallway away from Puck. He watched her cheerleading skirt sway and her long brown hair bounce on her pony tail as she wove her way through the crowd, eventually disappearing amongst the throng of teens.

"Enjoying the view?" Santana asked, appearing suddenly at his side.

"Gimme a break," Puck said with an irritated shrug, "I just ran smack into her fucking locker door. I think she saw me coming."

Santana peered at his forehead. "Oh, yeah. I see the bump-it's a real welt. Get some ice on it."

"I will. So are you walking home?" Puck asked, still holding his welt.

"Yeah, but first, I'm watching little Miss Pom-Pom try to start her car."

"Why?"

Santana smiled happily. "Cuz I took her battery."

"What do you mean, you took her battery?"

"From her car- what do you think?" Santana laughed at her cleverness.

Puck couldn't help but join in, shaking his head. "Oh man, that's good. Well played, Satan."

"Thanks! I learned it from _you_, Fuckerman."

"And you've learned well, little grasshopper." He grinned down at her. "Seriously, taking someone's battery…I wouldn't have thought you had it in you. That's worthy of the master," he said, placing a hand on his chest and bowing.

As they chuckled together, Puck led Santana down the hallway and out the front door, where they could watch the parking lot from their perch on the front steps. Sure enough, from this vantage point they were able to see Rachel frantically trying to start her car. Obviously frustrated, Rachel dejectedly crawled from the car. As she raised the hood, she shot a glance towards the school. Puck and Santana quickly turned away, heading in opposite directions from the sidewalk…

**LATER THAT NIGHT…..**

A few hours later, as the sun set on the football field at William McKinley High , an out-of-breath girl with beaming chocolate eyes ran to join the other cheerleaders standing silently in perfect formation on the sidelines.

"BERRY! Where the hell have you been? Your twenty minutes late!" her coach, Sue Sylvester, blared through her megaphone.

"I'm so sorry coach, it will never happen again. I was just having car troubles." Rachel explained, not even the least bit phased by the coaches attitude.

"It better not, you're the captain. If the other losers see you slacking off, they'll think its ok…and nothing is ok with Sue Sylvester." She stalked off to go yell at some of the band members about them being too spineless.

Rachel sighed and walked over to her team. She was just in time for the national anthem. She waited respectfully in her country's honor before she turned to one of her best friends, Kurt Hummel.

"Kurt! Oh my gosh! I just barely made it!" Rachel whispered.

"What happened to you?" the male cheerleader asked Rachel as she slid in beside him, hoping to go unnoticed by any other people. As the football team, the Titans, were announced, the whole squad jumped up and yelled _charge!_ Followed by a lone trumpet blast. In the midst of the cheer, the announcer began introducing the football players over the PA system. Each member of the line-up received wild screams and applause from the raucous crowd, as they raced one-by-one onto the field.

WMHS had won the pregame coin toss and had elected to kick off, and the cheers grew to a crescendo as the fans encouraged their kicker. They were rewarded with a kick-off deep into the enemy territory, and the unfortunate receiver was swarmed, then pummeled to the ground, having only advanced a few short yards.

After preforming a Go D-E-F-E-N-S-E! cheer, Kurt pulled Rachel to the side. "So, why were you late? That's not like you."

"My car wouldn't start! I couldn't even make it home before the game!"

"You've been trying to start your car this whole time?"

"Sort of. It turns out there was a problem with my battery-as in it went missing."

"WHAT?"

"Someone took my battery! Can you believe it? Unfortunately I didn't figure it out until I looked under the hood, and by then everyone was already gone. So I called a tow truck, they replaced my battery and I drove straight here."

"Wow, Rach. That's seriously-"

"Hey, you two, we need another cheer", a friend of Kurt's, Blaine told them. He walked away, but not before giving Kurt a not-so-subtle wink.

"Whats going on there Mr. Hummel, anything you'd like to share? We are totally talking about _that_ later!" Kurt and Rachel walked to the field again and lead the team in another cheer.

As they finished their cheer, the opponents fumbled the ball almost on cue and the crowd erupted into jubilant screams. Puck recovered the ball, bounced off several opponents, then sprinted to the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. The fans rose their feet and cheered with an extreme amount of energy. The specialty kicking team once again took the field, allowing Kurt and Rachel to continue their conversation.

"You really think someone took your battery?"

Rachel had to laugh, despite her lingering annoyance. "I didn't forget it at home if that's what your suggesting," she said with a sly grin. "Of course someone had to take it! Either that or it grew legs and waked away."

"But who in the name of Barbra would take it?"

With a dark look at their team's star player, Rachel lifted her chin. "I have a pretty good idea."

Kurt followed her gaze with a quick inward breath, "Your kidding right? Puck?"

"You got it! Him and that group's little ring leader."

"Santana. Well, I admit this is totally her style, especially since she's holding that stupid grudge against you. But why do you think it was them? It could have just been that creepy Jacob-Ben Israel kid trying to take pictures of you to put on his blog again."

"It couldn't have been Jew-Fro cuz I saw them leaving the scene of the crime!"

Hoping to forget the prank for now, Rachel turned back to watch the game, an soon enough found herself caught up in the excitement. Following an amazing play, Rachel began a new cheer. She was mid-jump when she caught the eye of Santana, in the far corner of the stands. Making eye contact, Rachel landed the jump harder than she intended, and glared at the other girl.

Her legs still tingling from the landing, Rachel felt her blood boil as Santana smiled back at her sweetly and gave a little finger wave. She took a deep breath to calm her anger, as the memory of her car battery came rushing back. From the corner of her eye she spotted her best friend, Quinn Fabray, in the stands out for a knee injury.

"Hey, Rach", Quinn yelled.

Rachel was glad to see her friend and ran over to say hello. Quinn was leaning over the railing, "What on Earth is going on? You nearly broke your ankle on that last landing!"

"I know, I know-"

"who the hell were you staring at? You looked ready to spit fire! Girl get a grip, everyone I watching!"

"Yeah, I know, I'm ok now," Rachel reassured her. "Santana Lopez is up to her old tricks. Wait 'till I tell you! She's such a-"

"Rachel!"

"Well she is!"

"Yeah I know but you need to get back to the game and forget about her for now- the squad's counting on you!" Quinn motioned to the action on the field.

"Im going don't you worry your pretty blonde head." Rachel strutted off to the field. Swaying her

hips extra to prove to Quinn her point. Rachel turned her head and called over to Quinn, "Where's Sam?"

"He went to get ready for half time, "Quinn replied loudly as she sat back down on the cold metal seat.

A loud siren was followed by the referee's whistle, signaling the end of the second quarter. The scoreboard shone a bright 20-13 in WMHS' favor. While the players sprinted toward the locker room, the homecoming royalty appeared and walked awkwardly toward the 50 yard line, the girls doing their best to navigate through the trampled grass in their heels. The teens were uncharacteristically elegant, and if they hadn't been in the middle of a muddy football field, they would have appeared to be going to a star-studded, gala grand opening.

The princesses were dressed in calf-length gowns with sparkling tiaras that gleamed under the spotlight of the stadium.

Assisting the lovely ladies were some of their male classmates, also elected by the student body, but looking far less elegant. Two of the boys were dressed up in football gear and the others wore plain black tuxedos.

The queen and king would be crowned based on the overall winners of the week's competitions. The announcer introduced the princes and princesses and as their names were called they stepped forward with arms linked. The announcer finished the intro, the tension mounted through the stadium, and the loudness of the crowd was replaced by a low expectant murmur.

Rachel felt a sudden tap on her shoulder.

"Rach, come on. Did you forget we have to crown the winners?"

Rachel turned to see Puck at her side, dressed in his muddy football uniform and holding his helmet on his hip. His short Mohawk was wet from sweating and his hazel eyes looked directly into hers.

"No," Rachel replied, brushing her hand through her bangs to hide her embarrassment. "Of course not. Let's go."

She linked her arm through the elbow he offered and she walked beside him across the field toward the center. Everybody got to their feet and clapped for last year's homecoming King and Queen."

Puck shot her a glance. Out of the side of his mouth he said, "I'm not happy about this either y'know."

"Well, YOU didn't spend two hours before the football game trying to get your car fixed. Excuse ME if I'm a little put out. too bad for you I made it."

Before he could reply the speakers crackled to life once again as the announcer spoke, "I am pleased to announce, " the voice bellowed from the P.A. system, " this year's homecoming king and queen! The king and queen of WMHS is…" you could not hear the announcer's statement due to the amount of noise coming from the stands.

As the band played, she could see Sam Evans, sort-of boyfriend of Quinn Fabray, playing his big tuba while trying to keep up with the rest of the marchers. Rachel laughed and shook her head as she watched him collapse under the weight of the instrument.

Zoning out for a little while, Rachel was brought back to life by the screaming fans, indicating that indeed WMHS had won the football game.

**SORRY I KNOW THIS CHPRT WAS MOSTLY FLUFF BUT I HAD TO DO IT IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE THE CHARACTERS…I WILL TRY TO UPDATE ONCE A WEEK IT WILL USUALLY BE MONDAY NIGHT…THE DAY I PUBLISHED THE STORY BUT I MIGHT GET A LITTLE SIDETRACKED AND SOME CHPTRS MIGHT BE LATE! Please review and thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**OMG IM SO HAPPY AT ALL THE REVIEWS AND ALERTS I GOT! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH YOU'RE THE BEST! HOPE YOU LIKE THE NEXT CHAPTER enjoy!**

Eventually the stadium cleared, leaving Puck lagging the rest of the team as they headed towards the showers. He always enjoyed the quiet after a game, the residual aura of victory and even the sound and feel of his cleats grabbing the grass with each step. Looking down, he spotted something sparkling in the mud. He reached down and retrieved a shiny silver ring. Holding it between his index finger and his thumb, he noticed a tiny diamond set in the center of the band, and thought he'd seen it somewhere before, so he tucked it into the waistband of his uniform.

"Hello, son. Can I talk to you a minute"?

Puck was startled by the presence of a middle-aged woman wearing a baseball cap. He thought he recognized the woman, but puck could not place her.

"No. I mean, yeah," puck responded, confused by the woman's sudden appearance.

"I've been watching you, Noah. You did great out there tonight." She paused, and then held out her hand with a grin. "I'm Shannon Beiste, by the way. Head coach of-"

"State university! Sure, Ms. Beiste, I know who you are! Thanks! You can call me Puck by the way."

"No need to thank me Puck. I thing you've got some skills we could use."

"Wow. Thanks a lot!" Puck said again automatically, his excitement rising.

"There's just one problem, son. We have high academic standards and ive already checked your GPA."

Puck felt his heart sink and he looked at the ground then met the older woman's gaze. Beiste continued, "I'm willing to take a chance and offer you a football scholarship, but only if you bring those grades up this year. Do you think you can do it?"

Puck recognized a second chance when it was offered.

"Yeah! Of course. I'll get my grades up,: he responded enthusiastically. "I promise. Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me yet son. You have a lot of work to do," Beiste advised handing puck over her card. "Call me if you need me or just want to talk. Hey, make sure to tell your parents!"

"Sure," Puck said reading the card. Under the name highlighted in bold was the title: _Head Coach. _

Coach Beiste smiled and turned walking off the field towards the exit. The exhaustion that Puck normally felt after a big game was replaced with excited energy by the win and the prospect of playing college ball. He ran full speed to the locker room to tell his friends the great news.

C'mon Rachel, its homecoming for heaven's sake!" Kurt admonished.

Rachel shook her head. "Kurt ive had a rough day and ive got lots of studying to do," she stated preparing to get into her car with the new battery firmly lodged in place.

"You can study any time," Blaine pleaded. "This is our very last homecoming dance!" He was hanging all over Kurt in a very touchy-feely way. She was going to have a talk with Kurt later.

"I know, and you guys are sweet but I really don't feel like dancing and-"as her hand reached for the door handle Rachel looked at her fingers in horror. "My ring!"

"What ring?" the two male cheerleaders asked in unison.

"My silver ring that I always wear!" Rachel began scanning the darkened blacktop where her car was parked. "Help me look for it, you guys!"

They all got down on their hands and knees looking for the small ring in the dimmed light.

Blaine rose to his feet, brushing his knees free of dirt "I don't think it's here. Where did you lose it?"

"I don't know!" Rachel answered frantically. "It's been such a hectic day- I guess it could have been such a hectic day- I guess it could have been at anytime, anywhere."

"Calm down Rachel. Tomorrow we'll come back and retrace your steps we'll find it," Kurt assured her.

"Yeah your right. Maybe it fell off at home while I was doing the dishes or something."

Her two friends nodded their heads in agreement and looked at each other as if this was plausible. Taking a deep breath, Rachel continued, "It's late. I should head home and check for my ring. I just want this day to be over. You two have fun at the dance."

Kurt and Blaine hugged Rachel an she got in her car and headed home.

**HEYY SORRY ITS LATE BUT I WAS SICK OVER THE WEEKEMD AND COULDN'T FINISH IT UNTILL TONIGHT BUT HERE IT IS! ITS BASICALLY A FILLER AND IT GIVE A REASON TO WHY PUCK DOES THE STUFF HE DOES IN FUTURE CHAPTERS THT I HAVNT WRITTEN YET! OOPS I GAVE SOMETHING AWAY HAHA SRY SPOILERS BUT YEPP SO HOPE U ALL LIKED IT LOL BYYYYYYY **


	4. Chapter 4

**Im really sorry I havnt updated lately its just that I wanted my spring break off and I had a really big project this week so im not getting to the story until now sorry! I luved the response to the last chapter even though it was short and kinda bad but I promise this 1 will be better! **

_ SIX MONTHS LATER…_

The sound of chalk scraping across the blackboard seemed magnified in the quiet classroom. The students taking calculus were not a noisy group. Some people found the silence bothersome, but Rachel found it comforting- a chance to concentrate. Unfortunately, she wasn't concentrating on calculus this particular day.

Her pencil slid purposefully along the corner of her homework paper, which she was supposed to be correcting. Instead she was drawing stick figures illustrating different cheer formations. She started the first frame with the little stick figures in a "ready" position. From there the little graphite cheerleader moved into a low "V", followed by a heel stretch.

Rachel stopped sketching and gazed out the window, admiring the green grass and blueness of the sky on this beautiful spring day. Trying to think on what move to orchestrate next when she heard her teacher, Mr. Schuester, calling her name, "Miss. Berry."

Startled, Rachel shot her chocolate-eyed gaze to the front of the classroom where the teacher was standing. Mr. Schuester didn't _look_ angry. When he was angry he was red in the face and would get a look of what could only be described as pure constipation on his face. Rachel looked at the teacher questioningly, and then shifted her attention to the chalkboard behind him, finally noticing a calculus problem in need of solving.

"Umm, I, uh…" she glanced down at her copy of last night's homework, hoping the solution would jump out at her. Rachel forced her gaze back to the front, ignoring the expectant stares of her classmates. Nervous laughter began to emanate around her, as the other students felt her pain. The tension built exponentially as Mr. Schuester clearly wasn't going to let her off the hook. Rachel swallowed…_BRIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG!_

Saved by the bell!

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and looked expectantly at Mr. Schuester, unsure if she'd be allowed to leave. The other students packed their belongings and headed towards the door. Mr. Schuester rolled his eyes and made a shooing motion with his hand. Rachel didn't have to be told twice and shoved her books in her bag, lifting the heavy load, walked out of the class room.

Making her way to the café, Rachel absently noted the hallways were extremely clogged since the entire school shared one lunch period. Nearly four years of high school but Rachel had gained the ability and the respect that the hallway parted like the red sea when she passed through them. Soon Rachel was seated at her usual table awaiting her friends' arrival. The seats around her filled and there was little room left for Rachel's best friends.

"Hey Rachel," Quinn said, her hazel eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Hi," she said brightly. "How was class?"

"Awesome!" Quinn replied excitedly. "Photography may not be that exciting to you but I happen to enjoy it."

"It's not that I don't enjoy it, I just think school is a time to learn something useful, like the impact of technological applications of physics on society and the environment." Rachel gave her a broad grin.

"Too many big words." Quinn said in a sarcastic haze.

"I happen to agree with Rachel." Kurt added defending his bffl.

"Oh no! Not you too!" Quinn moaned holding her head in her hands.

"Well, thank you Kurt. Your opinions mean the world to me," Rachel stated sincerely.

"As it should," he agreed taking a sip from his mocha coffee.

"Why should it?" Sam asked indignantly, his blue eyes beaming.

An inevitable argument ensued between the boys who were constantly at each other's throats-mostly good natural ribbing, but sometimes things could get tense. Kurt was a careful perfectionist, while Sam was unpredictable, loud and breezy. Rachel liked them both, though her own quiet temperament gave her more in common with Kurt.

She smiled and turned to Quinn, who met her gaze, then rolled her eyes. Both girls shook their heads in amusement.

"Honestly, Quinn. What do you see in him?" Rachel asked mockingly, nodding in Sam's direction

"What do you mean?"

"Forget it- I don't need to ask, really. In a way, your made for each other."

"We totally are not!"

Rachel couldn't help but laugh at her friend's horrified expression. "You totally are. Neither one of you know how to keep your opinion to yourself. Maybe he's a little more argumentative, but it's a close call."

"If you call being outspoken 'argumentative', then I'll cop to that. But I am not made for Sam Evans," Quinn concluded firmly, lowering her voice to a near whisper. "That's just ridiculous."

"Why? You don't have to make it sound like an insult. You have something against gorgeous green eyes and a brilliant body?"

Quinn glanced toward the boy in question. "Nothing against blue eyes or a 'brilliant' body but plenty against his freaky hair! How could I go out with someone who dies their hair blonde?"

"Actually he uses lemon juice. I saw him picking it up at the supermarket last week."

"I rest my case."

The two girls began to laugh, eventually catching the attention of Sam and Kurt, who stopped their bickering to look at the girls curiously.

"So whatcha got for lunch Sam?" Rachel asked, but before he could answer, Rachel heard the painfully familiar voice of Noah Puckerman behind her.

"Hey Rachel. See your hangin' with the 'beautiful people' again," he said sarcastically.

She flinched as he used both hands to ruffle her long, perfect Cheerios Ponytail. Smacking his hands away she didn't bother to look over her shoulder as she tightened her now slightly imperfect pony. Rachel continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge his presence, although everyone sitting nearby was giving him their own personal death stare.

"Whats the problem Rach? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I'm never happy to see you."

Puck had been aggravating her on a more regular basis since Santana had ousted him from her group. Rachel had heard through the grapevine that Santana had replaced him with a new minion to do her evil deeds. Unfortunately, this meant that Puck had even more time on his hands to drive Rachel crazy.

Quinn leapt to Rachel's defense. "I think Rachel's made it pretty clear she sick of your stalker tendencies, Puck, so how 'bout you just leave us alone!" Quinn's hazel eyes glared protectively as Rachel's flashed with annoyance.

Observing Quinn over the top of Rachel's head, Puck shrugged. "Well if you insist. I'm due at the next table anyway. Try not to miss me too much." Before leaving he lightly kissed the tips of his fingers in mock gentility before pressing them to the top of Rachel's head. Puck strolled casually away to another table.

Trying to forget the intrusion, Rachel's group dissolved into a discussion about the upcoming prom. Rachel wasn't participating in the debate, unable to get past what Puck's attempt to annoy her. Gazing at his athletic body as he sat at the nearby table, she noticed his Mohawk glistened in the harsh florescent light of the cafeteria, and his chocolate shimmered with mischief. Looking just like they did every time he teased her.

She recognized that, on some weird level, both she and Puck got a kick out of their banter. Even though they disliked each other, she suspected that he enjoyed their insulting conversations for the same reason she did-their bursts of banter made the boring days just the slightest bit more interesting.

The teasing had started in grammar school, even know they have known each other since the womb since their families are very good friends, when Puck started pulling her pigtails. That was before he was even "Puck", before his dad left his mother with two mouths to feed on a low income job. She winced as she remembered the frozen bra incident in the fifth grade. Years later she still didn't know how he'd gotten hands on her training bra and placed it in her parents' freezer.

But despite the teasing and pranks, they'd also been the best of friends. Back in eighth she and Puck had been inseparable. They'd gone everywhere together, and Rachel found many fond childhood memories of the time spent with him. After his father left they only became closer even having sleepovers just so she could hold him at night and comfort him. Her whole world changed the summer before their first year of high school, when Santana moved to town and turned their twosome into a threesome (please no dirty jokes lol). Rachel had never put much stock into the saying "two's company three's a crowd" until she met Santana. Eventually the three of them were never apart but Rachel began to feel like the third wheel and hoped she was imagining the veiled insults Santana had directed her way. Sadly, she wasn't imagining at all.

One day in August, they were hiking through the woods behind Rachel's house. An earlier pick nick had gone smoothly, although Santana had put something of a damper on the playful conversation with her sarcastic jabs at Rachel. On the return home, things took a marked turn for the worse.

They'd been walking single file along the path: Puck, Rachel and then Santana. Suddenly Santana shoved Rachel into a patch of nasty berry brambles causing her hair to become tangled in the burrs. To free his friend, Puck had to give her a nasty haircut with his pocket knife. A screaming match ensued between the two girls, and Puck found himself the mediator. Rachel pointed an accusing finger at Santana as the cause of her fall into the bushes, and Santana claimed Rachel must have tripped. Puck sided with Santana, unwilling to believe that she'd ever be malicious enough to push Rachel. He hadn't understood why Rachel would make such a claim, and Rachel had been so hurt by Puck's betrayal she vowed never to speak to him again.

Gradually their relationship turned into one of constant torment, but truth be told, Rachel preferred that over complete silence. Once they entered their senior year of high school, she'd been hoping that Puck had matured and the pranks would stop. But just three weeks into this school year, he's been an accomplice in the battery-stealing incident. Now nearing graduation he was still picking on her daily, perhaps more now than ever since Santana wasn't around.

"….Which reminds me. Kurt, I'm commissioning you ," Sam announced, jarring Rachel from her stroll down memory lane.

"Really?" Kurt responded, leaning forward with interest.

"Yes…accept for the part where I pay you." Sam said.

"Commissioning for what?" Rachel inquired. She didn't notice the shocked look she received from her friends as she gathered her books for the bell.

"The English test tomorrow. Kurt gets to help me study."

Rachel's chocolate eyed widened and her slim body tensed.

"Oh my gosh! I've been so focused on everything else that I completely forgot! I'm so dead!" The group winced at Rachel's forehead connected with the lunch table.

"Ouch" Sam muttered under his breath.

"I don't have time to study! I have Cheerios practice and I volunteer to help at the blood drive tonight!" she raised her head off the table. Nervously twisting her fingers around the spot where her favorite ring used to be, Rachel could feel her anxiety increase. "Do you think it'll be hard?" A rhetorical question, as she already knew the test would be a killer.

"Don't know", Sam responded, shrugging and moving his slim frame uncomfortably about in his chair.

"Damn it Sam your useless!"

He shrugged again and snapped a carrot between his teeth. "I am," he agreed, smiling lightly. "Look Rach, don't worry. You could completely bomb that test and the best universities would still beg for your attention, especially NYADA."

"Trouty's right hun." Quinn added, nodding. "You've got nothing to worry about."

Despite her friends' assurances, Rachel was still panicked. It wasn't like her to forget an important test, and this one was rumored to be the hardest English test ever composed by Ms. Pillsbury. She is the head of the English Department, and also the hardest grader on staff. Rachel had never gone into a test cold I her entire life- not even in the third grade when her goldfish died the day before her big division test.

Growing more panicked as she tried to come up with a plan, Rachel could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. Perhaps rearranging her schedule- cutting practice short (Sue was at a baby sonogram) and studying during breaks at the blood drive- would give her some much-needed time to prepare. She was wringing her hands and looking as if she might pass out from hyperventilation. How was she going to get into NYADA with a failing grade on her most recent test grade! Sam handed her a paper bag and instructed her to breathe. She pushed it aside with thankful eyes. If the cafeteria hadn't been packed with curious teens, she would have gotten on the floor and done some yoga to calm herself down.

"You guys are right. It'll be okay," she said finally with a nod. "But in order for it to be okay I have to go cram in some review right now. I'll catch you later." With that she gathered her bag and exited the cafeteria. She left the bewildered group still stunned that the always- prepared Rachel Berry was the most unprepared of the group.

**

As the final bell rang Rachel shoved her books out of her locker as quickly as she could. The hallways were crowed and noisy and the commotion was cluttering her head with useless thoughts. Her distraction increased as the sound of Puck's voice floated down the hall. Just a few lockers away, his conversation was clearly audible. She continued to eavesdrop as she rearranged the contents of her locker.

"What do you mean Mike?"

"I mean she doesn't want you to come over Puck."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Sans mad that you ditched us!"

"I haven't ditched you guys, I've been studying. Remember: low grades, no scholarship?"

"That's what I mean. Your no fun anymore, dude."

"So I can't hang out with you guys because grades are important to me, and now I'm not fun? Fuck that noise!"

"Puck it was good bumpin' into you but I gotta go-"

"Thanks a lot" Puck said sarcastically.

"Hey you were the one that dumped us, remember?"

"Does this have anything to do with that new exchange student, Finn?" Puck asked and a sheepish look came across Mike's face.

"I don't know whats going on, dude, but yeah Finn's been hangin' with us a lot."

"So I've been replaced," Puck said to himself trying to mask the hurt in his eyes.

"Sorry man." Mike consoled then simply turned down the hall and walked away, leaving Puck standing alone in front of his locker. Trying to be as quiet as possible Rachel closed her locker and walked in the opposite direction.

**

Pulling into her drive way she figured she had just enough time to study for a couple hours and the get up early and finish cramming in the morning. Fifteen minutes later, Rachel was comfortably beneath her covers with Hamlet open to Act 1 Scene 1. As it turned out she was a bit too comfortable. Before long Rachel's breath became heavy and her brown eyes fluttered then shut. The exhausted teen was fast asleep.

**so you guys now know why Rachel hates puck and Santana soooo much! Please review love you guys !**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow! Was really surprised by the amount of reviews and alerts I got from the last chapter in just one day! Hope you all enjoy the next chprt! I know I will!**

!

Rachel jumped at the sudden sound of the warning bell signaling the next class was about to begin. Looking up from her English notes to peer down the corridor, she noticed other students getting some last minute cramming in as well; she groaned and turned her face to her locker. Not only had she fallen asleep before she could study last night, but she had also slept through her alarm. Rushing to get ready for school had left her with only twenty minutes to look over her notes. Now, as she grabbed her backpack and headed to class, she chewed gently on her lower lip.

"Good morning Ms. Pillsbury." Rachel greeted, forcing herself to sound cheerful and confidant.

"Miss. Berry." Her teacher murmured, looking up from the papers lying on her old wooden desk. Since she returned her gaze immediately to the papers, Rachel wasted no time getting into her seat.

"Hey Rach," Puck called enthusiastically, saluting her as he took his place at the desk to her right. "You look worried. Didn't study enough? That's not like you."

Ignoring him she attempted to concentrate on her manuscript of Hamlet for a few more minutes before the exam started.

"If you weren't such an overachiever, you might be better prepared for what is possibly the hardest test you've ever taken."

"Shut up, Puck," was all Rachel could muster as she felt her panic rise.

"Whats the matter? Too many responsibilities? I mean, saving lives, tutoring, Cheerios captain, Prom Committee…being mother Teresa doesn't leave you much time to study, huh?"

"Shut up Puck!" Rachel warned again her voice rising in volume, but Puck continued to taunt her, undeterred. As more students arrived and settled into their seats, what had begun as nervous classroom murmuring grew into a loud last minute cram session.

"All right class, settle down," Ms. Pillsbury intoned as she stood up behind her desk. Picking up a stack of papers she took a deep breath and said, "Please clear your desks, as you may not refer to your notes, only the play, and I will tolerate no 'collaboration' on this exam. You will be failed immediately if I suspect that you are looking over someone's shoulder. These are your tests," she said holding up the stack of papers so al could see. "The rules are the same as usual. When you receive your copy you will have forty five minutes to complete the exam. If you finish early, please turn the test in to me and return to your seat where you are expected to remain quietly sitting until the bell rings. Understood?" When no response came she continued, "Good luck. Some of you will undoubtedly need it."

Several students chuckled but Rachel knew she wasn't joking. If she hadn't been afraid she'd fail her, she would have given an audible 'eep' of fright. Ms. Pillsbury handed several copies of the test to the closest students to her, for distribution. As exams were passed back, Rachel took her paper from the boy in front. Glancing down at the first page she noticed several rules typed neatly along the top that their teacher did not read aloud.

_You may use your copy of 'Hamlet'._

_The test must be written in black ink, not blue nor pencil._

_Use proper grammar or you will fail._

Rachel grabbed her (black thankfully) pen. She sighed deeply, her blue eyes flickering anxiously as she read the first question:

** Explain the meaning of Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy.**

She picked up her copy and flipped to the section in which hamlet gives one of the most famous soliloquies ever written. Staring blankly at the text, unable to concentrate, she reminded herself that she needed to focus on the question. A glance towards Puck's desk showed he had nearly two paragraphs already completed. Leaning ever so slightly out of her chair she kept her head straight but averted her eyes to the desk beside her and scanned the first few lines of Puck's answer. Her jaw dropped in astonishment as she realized how good it was.

_In all likelihood the most well-known commentary ever composed, this soliloquy is spoken by Hamlet in Act 3.1 (58-90) by the same name. it is analyzed worldwide and cited in essays of all sorts as a compelling inquiry into the ethical correctness of suicide. By asking "to be or not to be" Hamlet is literally asking, "Should I live or die?"_

A hastily written note was shoved over the answer and Rachel wrinkled her nose in displeasure. She quickly scanned the note:

_Like what u c? Need some help?_

Looking up at him she saw Puck staring right back. She arched an eyebrow and mouthed "No". He smirked at her and pushed another note her way.

_U kno u cnt do this on Ur own_

She stared at the note for a moment, and then looked nervously at her cell phone. Five minutes had passed. As much as it pained her to admit, Puck was right. Fidgeting nervously with her pen, she looked at the finger where her precious silver ring used to be. Its absence added to her anxiety as she touched the spot where it had been worn for so many years. Suddenly, all she could think about was that ring, making it impossible to focus on the test. Considering Puck's offer she nervously looked up toward Ms. Pillsbury. She wasn't watching her but she studied her for a moment, calculating the probability of whether he would look up as she slid her reply to Puck.

_Whats it gonna cost me_

At her inquiry, Puck actually looked hesitant, as if contemplating a deal. Finally he wrote and returned the scrap of paper:

_Pretend 2 b my gf?_

She looked up at his face, her expression incredulous. He gave her a helpless look and shrugged slightly. She wrote back carefully printing her response while keeping an eye on Ms. Pillsbury.

_ R U INSANE?_

Rachel watched Puck for a moment looking for a response. He gave none other than reaching into his pocket and pulling his hand out again- with a familiar ring decorating his index finger. Rachel's mouth dropped open in horror and she lunged across the aisle, attempting to retrieve her ring. She inadvertently knocking her pen 2 the floor, attracting Ms. Pillsbury's attention. Leaning down to the floor carefully she picked up her pen and held it high so the teacher could see what had caused the commotion.

Puck stifled a laugh and placed the ring back in his pocket for safekeeping. If she wasn't afraid that the teacher would fail her she would have tackled Puck to the floor to get that ring back. Instead, Rachel glared at him one last time, and then skimmed another question hoping she could focus:

**How does Hamlet, as a play, reflect the social trends of Elizabethan England? Respond in a maximum of four paragraphs and cite pages where applicable.**

Rachel knew from previous English tests that not including references would result in receiving a big fat 'F'. She had no idea where to begin to look for references and felt test anxiety kick in. Contemplating Puck's offer even though cheating on a test went beyond every fiber of her being, she felt sweat beading on her forehead and wiped it away. Success on this test called for drastic measures and she reasoned that if she really was only looking at his references it wouldn't really be cheating.

Squeezing the bridge of her nose between her fingers, she nearly groaned in defeat. Twenty four hours ago she'd been certain that she would be leaving for college in the fall. Now to ensure that she wouldn't fail the exam and be denied acceptance to NYADA, Rachel was making a deal with the devil. Along the side of her scrap paper she scribbled a note and pushed it toward Puck. He glanced over at the message and a triumphant grin spread over his face.

_Quinn is nvr gonna 4giv me 4 this!_

**

When the bell rang, Rachel stopped her answers and placed the completed test on the teacher's desk, nervously walking from the room. Trying to hurry down the hallway before Puck could catch up with her; she felt his arm snake around her shoulder. She grimaced at his touch.

"Hey babe." She winced at the annoying term. "How's my girl doin'?"

Rachel resorted to gritting her teeth to keep from saying insulting. Luckily, the test was over and they could now take time to discuss their agreement. Maybe she'd even think of a way out of their charade.

Then she remembered; "Give me my ring," she demanded, stopping mid-stride and pushing his hand off her shoulder. Puck glanced around for a private place for them to talk. Spying an empty classroom, he led the way while Rachel followed, kicking the door closed as Puck sat back on the teacher's desk.

"Somethin' wrong hun?" he asked innocently, mocking her.

"Puck, I need my ring back," she stated adamantly, hoping the desperation in her voice was not evident.

"I thought you might try to weasel your way out."

"Why your girlfriend? Can't I just loan you my car or something?"

"I don't need a car, I have legs," he countered calmly. "And I have my reasons."

"Like what?" her tone was incredulous.

"It has to do with Santana, and the guys," Puck confessed.

"Why would you want to have anything to do with them? The entire school knows Santana's replaced you with that cute exchange student…" Rachel stopped herself and frowned ad she realized that she'd admitted to listening to gossip.

He blinked at her and pushed himself off the desk, the hurt reflected in his face. "The whole school knows?"

"Yeah," Rachel confirmed. "You mean you didn't know?"

"Yeah I knew. It's just that I didn't think my life would be talked about in casual conversation."

"Come on Puck. You are the star of the football team, practically the most popular person in this school, aside from the Cheerios of course. Did you think you were anonymous or something?"

"I guess I haven't really been paying attention much; I've been busy trying to raise my GPA."

At this news Rachel's jaw dropped. "Studying? Noah Puckerman, studying?"

"Gimme a break. You're not the only one who wants to get into college, you know!"

"Sorry but you've just always acted like a lame jock. I figured you were only out to have fun and torment people."

Puck paused, unsure how to respond. "Whatever, Rachel. Let's talk about our deal." He shifted so he was looking straight into her mocha eyes. "I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend to make Santana jealous and let me back in with the 'lame jocks', "he said, moving he fingers in the air to represent quotation marks. " Well, not _girlfriend_ exactly but if we start hanging out together, people will think that anyway."

Rachel eyed him suspiciously. "You can't be serious. It'll never work," she insisted shaking her head.

"It _will _work. It's so simple, its perfect."

"It's been done," she responded.

"Not by me."

"And the fact that you're even considering it is pathetic."

"Rachel, I need you and you need me."

"I don't need you, I need my ring."

"Which I have. Same difference."

"Your such a troglodyte," she countered.

"A_ what_?" he asked, momentarily distracted.

"Maybe if you studied more you would know!" Rachel glared at him for a moment as he looked at her intently. Finally, she spoke again, her voice shaky with a mixture of resignation and caution. "Hypothetical situation," she started. "Let's say I agree. Do you give me the ring back now?"

"No."

"What?" her eyes winded in surprise. "Why not?"

"Man, and I thought you were smart, Rachel." He rolled his eyes and focused back to her, speaking in a tone normally reserved for small children. "If I give it to you now, you won't go through with the plan!"

"Yes I will," she insisted indignantly. "You _know_ me! You know _I_ don't break promises."

Puck suddenly looked guilty, but the expression was fleeting before his jaw hardened again. "I can't guarantee that."

She hesitated. "What do I have to do?"

"Just act like my girlfriend," he said simply.

"You mean pretend that I think you're wonderful," she said scowling at him.

"Pretend? I am wonderful."

"Let's get one thing straight here: just because I'm pretending to be your girlfriend doesn't mean I like you," she stated firmly, poking her index finger on his chest for emphasis. "And it definitely doesn't mean I'm gonna…well, kiss you or do anything else."

He chuckled. "Your so…" he trailed off, as though unsure exactly how he was going to finish the statement.

"What?" she asked.

"You're a loser."

Rachel stared at him blankly for a moment. "Oh very mature, Puck. I guess I can't expect very much from a lowlife like you. And just so you know I'm more popular than you." She said sticking her tongue out at him.

"And that's so much more adult." Puck glanced at his phone. "Look I can't do this I have to go to my calculus study group. I'll talk to you later." She frowned at him as he moved to the door. "Rachel, I'll call you tonight. Maybe we can work out the details of our 'relationship'. That ok?"

"Yeah. I'll be breathlessly waiting by the phone," she answered sarcastically as he opened the door. "One last question." He stopped and turned. "How did you steal my ring?"

"I didn't steal it Rachel! I found it on the football field after homecoming."

"Right," Rachel said in a huff. "So you've just been packing it around with you every day for the last six months?"

"Well when I realized it was yours… I figured it might come in handy at some point. So, yeah, I've been carrying it around in my backpack ever since. I just slipped it into my pocket this morning for good luck."

"Sorry to tell you Puck but I put a hex on that ring- so you better give it back or you'll have nothing but bad luck!"

Puck just shook his head and walked out the door, leaving Rachel exasperated and alone in the empty classroom.

**Well that was long and tedious to write! Wow my fingers hurt! Hope you all luvvvvvvv the chapter! xoxoxoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry guys for the late update I broke my toe and have been limping like crazy and the story just got away from me I really hope this makes up for it though. Short authors note so ill let u get on with…chapter 6? Im not sure I lost count!**

"All righty. Number 2. State Green's theorem as applied to question 1," Rachel said aloud to herself as she tried to complete her homework. Thinking about the question, she tapped her pen lightly on her chin and gazed around her cozy room. The vanilla incense she'd been burning usually helped her to study, but as she was sprawled on the bed with her homework in front of her, she realized that tonight it only made her think of ice cream, and that was not a good thing considering she had to stay in tiptop shape in order to be on the Cheerios. Hearing a growl that she first assumed was her stomach, she looked over to her dog, Jerzi Boy.

"I know, J. Calculus is boring."

Tilting his head in obvious agreement, Jerzi looked up at her as she reached down to scratch behind his furry ears.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she asked continuing to pet her pup.

Unfortunately, Jerzi was far better at listening that giving advice. Turning her attention back to her homework, Rachel realized studying was futile in her current state. She grabbed the closest pillow within her reach. Burying her face, she screamed with all her might until she was completely out of breath. Raising her head she looked at Jerzi, who merely blinked in response. Her frustration not entirely alleviated, she once again dove face first into the pillow. Remarkably, the pillow was quite effective for tension release and Rachel felt more relaxed as she sat upright, red faced her long straight brown locks mussed. She jumped in surprise as she heard her Daddy calling from downstairs.

"Rachel, phone!" her father yelled. Trying to catch her breath and slow her racing heart, Rachel opened the door for her dad to hand her the cell phone that was left downstairs. "I look forward to it too Noah. I haven't seen you for quite some time. see if you can get Rachel to go out and have a little fun for once." Her father said.

"DAD!"

"I'm sorry honey. You kids have a nice chat. Bye." Her father handed her the phone and left.

"You sneaky little suck up!"

"C'mon Rachel I was just making small talk till you picked up your phone."

"How did you get my number any way. I changed it after eighth grade?"

"I have my sources."

"Jew-fro?" Rachel guessed.

"How'd you guess?" Puck responded in a sarcastic tone.

"What do you want?" she asked angrily.

"We have some things to discuss."

Rachel slid off her bed and padded across the room to her walk-in closet. "Like what?" she asked, tilting her head as she surveyed her closet.

"For one, what are we going to tell people?"

"That I was hit on the head with an anvil and suddenly hanging out with you doesn't seem as revolting as it used to?"

"Nice. But seriously Rachel how are we going to convince people that we magically resolved our differences sometime between the end of school today and first period tomorrow?"

Wrinkling her nose in contemplation, she balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder, and reached into her closet. "I suppose we should be civil or something."

"We need to be more than civil. We should start off by walking together in the hallways."

"Not a chance. I don't want to be seen with you in school. Maybe out of school. Besides, what do we talk about." Reaching into the cluttered closet she pulled out a gold star cotton night gown.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter what we talk about. Really your just being difficult. And honestly how else are we gonna convince people that we actually enjoy each other's company?"

After some prolonged searching she finally found her favorite socks; white with little ducks on them, a present from Brittney for her birthday last year. "I haven't a clue. You're the big schemer, you figure it out."

"Ok how about this- I saved you from being mugged?"

Puck, I think someone else has the copyright to the damsel in distress ploy. Besides I carry a rape whistle and pepper spray and all my friends know it." She took off her makeup from the day leaving her natural face out to breathe. "What if my car broke down? Oh wait, that's right! That actually DID happen- only you weren't there to help me out, you actually CAUSED the problem?"

"Oh give me a break… I had nothing to do with the battery thing."

"I don't believe you."

"Well it's true. But you have to admit that if that didn't happen to you it was pretty funny."

"No, Puck having fun at other people's expenses is not my idea of fun. Humiliating people is not something I like to do." There was only silence on the other end of the line. "Okay," she sighed. "What if we both happened to go out to dinner at the same place, and we got to talking. And maybe I helped you with some homework. "

"That's not half bad," Puck admitted. "We played catch- up and realized that, despite outward appearances, we actually like each other." She didn't respond right away, so he added a quick, "Or something like that."

Her shirt hit the floor, crumpling into a pile as she shrugged into her pajamas. "Sounds good to me," Rachel mumbled as she fumbles with the buttons of her shirt.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Puck, language. And for your information I'm getting undressed." She responded defensively slightly caught off guard by his question. He didn't say anything for a few moments. "Hello?"

Puck cleared his throat. "Okay we've come up with an explanation of how we started talking. So, I'm thinking we should probably eat lunch together," he stated apprehensively.

"Umm I don't think so."

"Rachel please I'm begging you."

"Only if we sit with my friends."

"But your friends hate me."

"I wonder why?" she said sarcastically.

"Can't we sit by ourselves?" he pleaded.

Rachel flopped down onto her bed, and Jerzi followed her lead, jumping up and licking her hand as Rachel shifted the phone into a different position. "My friends only hate you because I hate you. If I tell them you're decent, they'll get over it… eventually."

"All right, I guess. Oh hey my pizzas here. I gotta run. I'll see you tomorrow," Puck said abruptly. Before she could respond the line went dead in her ear and she growled in exasperation. She tossed her phone onto her laundry pile in the corner of her room.

"Guess what J?" she asked her dog. "I'm fake- dating a total loser." The dog yawned, which Rachel took as a complete agreement. With a sigh she gave into her sensible instincts and returned to her calculus homework.

The metallic clang of a locker door being thrust shut resounded in the hallway, following by the familiar sound of a lock sliding through the steel loop. Rachel turned and leaned against her locker, lost in thought about how to deal with Puck and his crazy scheme.

"Morning sunshine," Quinn called interrupting her ideas.

"Hi, Quinn." Rachel replied, adding teasingly, "Did you do all your homework last night?"

"Absolutely!" Quinn replied as if Rachel had been asking a serious question. Quinn shifted the books in her arms, balancing them on her hip. "So, what was the deal with you disappearing after class yesterday? I wanted to talk to you about Prom Campaigning! Prom will be here before you know it, and we've got to get busy!"

"Sorry but I had something to do." Rachel replied.

"What something?"

"Hello ladies!" Puck's voice came from behind the two girls. Before Rachel could turn around, she felt two arms wrap around her waist, and she grimaced, remembering they were a 'dating'.

"This something," Rachel said cocking her head in Puck's direction.

Quinn's jaw dropped, her eyes widened and she stuttered, "That's Puck, and he's touching you, and you're LETTING HIM!" she pointed at Puck as if Rachel were unaware of his presence.

"Very observant of you, Quinn," Puck murmured, resting his chin on Rachel's shoulder. Her body slim body tensed and she thought about applying a swift elbow to his ribs.

"When did this happen?" Quinn asked with a look of bewilderment.

"Last night. I decided to swing by Bread Sticks to get a salad on my way home and Puck was there too. He needed some help with his calculus homework and we got to talking and…"

"And WHAT? And now you let him grope you in the hallway?"

"He's hardly groping, Q, please. He's actually tolerable."

"I'm still here ya know," Puck said a slightly amused look crossing his features. Both girls ignored him.

"So, now what? You're dating?" Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"Umm sort of I guess," Rachel confirmed, nodding. After an awkward pause she spoke again. "Do you mind if he eats lunch with us?"

"What? Yes I mind!"

"Quinnie please?"

Hesitating Quinn eyed Puck suspiciously. "I suppose. But only if he's civil."

He straightened up, saluting her. "Yes, ma'am."

Rachel turned to face him. "Q and I have to get to class now," she stated firmly making it clear that he was not to follow. He kissed her cheek and she blushed and the two girls walked away. When they were out of hearing range Quinn turned to face Rachel.

"Honestly Rach. Him? The whole school would grovel at your feet to date you and of all people you want to date Noah Puckerman?"

In response Rachel shrugged and nodded. "I don't think he's as horrible as I thought he was all these years. Maybe there's still some trace of the guy who was my best friend hiding in there somewhere."

Quinn sighed and pushed open the door to their next class. "You know I trust your judgement, but are you sure?"

"Definitely." Rachel hoped she sounded confident.

Rachel turned before she could see Quinn's worried expression.

"She was with Noah Puckerman?" Sam was stunned. In fact, so was everyone else at the table. Not a single one of Rachel's friends could comprehend the fact that she was dating Puck.

In response, Quinn nodded slowly. "Yep. THE Noah Puckerman. Bad- boy, short brown hair, to die for brown eyes, athletic body," she said. Sam looked a little nauseated at Quinn's description.

Kurt stumbled towards the table, attempting to balance his beloved Alexander McClain jacket and his lunch tray. "Who was with Puckerman? That Santana chick again? I never liked her."

"Not Santana," Quinn said slowly. She leaned over the table toward him, creating an air of suspense. Kurt calmly sipped from his Lima Bean coffee. "The girl with Puck was Rachel." The iced coffee went spraying across the table and Sam laughed out loud at Kurt's response.

"Are you serious?" Kurt asked, after apologizing and handing Quinn a bundle of napkins.

Sam nodded, picking up a napkin and trying to wipe Quinn's Cheerios uniform clean.

"When did this happen? Did I sleep through two millennia? Are their pigs outside taking flight?" Kurt pushed dramatically away from the table as if to look out the window to see the phenomenon.

"Relax. Rach seemed okay with it. I think she really likes him," Quinn said chuckling at Kurt's reaction.

"Are you sure? Was she coerced in any way? Did Puck have a taser to her throat?"

"No tasers. Completely her own decision, so she says, but it still seems really weird to me." As Quinn continued talking, she was unaware that Kurt's eyes were growing larger as he watched Rachel and Puck approach behind her. "If you ask me, Puck is a total loser, not worth her time," she stated emphatically and continued wiping her uniform. She didn't see Kurt making a slicing motion across his throat. So engrossed was she in the task, that she also missed Kurt anxiously clearing his throat in an attempt to attract her attention. "She could have any guy she wants, yet for some reason…"

"Hello FRIENDS of mine," Rachel stated firmly, glaring down at the top of Quinn's head. Quinn and Sam turned in unison to look at the new couple with large smiles plastered to their faces.

"Hey," Quinn said sheepishly, and made a little wave at them with her hand.

"You all know Puck. He's going to be sitting with us today if you don't mind."

"Hey." Puck raised his hand in response obviously as uncomfortable with the situation as they were.

Kurt nodded politely and Quinn did her best to not give him the HBIC death glare, but Sam, taking a large bite from a gooey chocolate donut with his big lips, only eyed him suspiciously. Rachel and Puck took their seats beside Kurt on the bench across from Quinn and Sam.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Rachel inquired sarcasm barely concealed as it dripped from her tongue. Her friends immediately looked guilty.

"Penguins," Kurt announced sipping his iced coffee, or what was left of it.

Puck gave the other young man a crooked grin. "Sounds intriguing."

"I like penguins," Quinn insisted daring Puck to disagree with her impending stare.

"All right. Sure. Nothing wrong with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The hockey team right?" Puck asked her trying to ease the tension at the table. "I'm a big fan of them myself," he added with a smile.

"So are you two doing anything tonight?" Quinn asked with a sigh, giving up on the penguin storyline.

Turning to Puck, Rachel looked at him anxiously. "Hadn't really thought about it. I have Cheerios practice tonight and studying and…"

"Oh come on Rach," Puck said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "You can take one night off from studying. How 'bout I pick you up at 'round seven and we can go hang out?"

Rachel's friends looked at one another in sheer disbelief, shocked that she might be contemplating 'hanging out' with Noah Puckerman instead of studying. Aside from extracurricular activities infringing on her time, Rachel rarely gave up studying, especially for pleasure. Stunned into silence, Rachel smiled falsely and turned to see her friends still watching. She hoped they didn't notice her apprehension as she tried to think of a response worthy of a girlfriend.

"Hmm. Maybe we could do that," she said nodding and talking at the same time, as she looked into Puck's glimmering brown eyes. Feeling an immediate need to retreat from the tension-filled table she briefly glanced down at her watch, and then did a double take. "Oh my goodness. LOOK at the time! I really have to go. I need to talk to Ms. Washington about the physics homework," she swiftly lied.

"But… but I" Puck stuttered, looking panicked as Rachel rose from her seat.

"You'll be fine. They won't bite," Rachel said and she gathered her things. Puck gave her a departing kiss on the cheek and watched her go. Leaving him to fend for himself.

Watching as she exited the café, Puck glared at Rachel's back, then turned hesitantly to face her group of friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all…I really loved the reaction I got from the last chapter…I might be starting a new story that will probably be a Faberry love story with vampires and all that jazz so I hope you could give me a pm or a review on what your opinion of starting a new story would be…enjoy!**

"We itch! We scratch! We do the cabbage patch!" Rachel said enunciating each word so that all the girls could hear the new cheer from behind her. They repeated it, mimicking the gestures as she watched them over her shoulder. Then she continued, "We roll! We stroll! We do the Tootsie Roll!" Again the cheerleaders copied her moves. She raised her pom-poms in the air in a "V" and brought them down slowly. "If you don't like our apples…" she swung her pom-poms in an arc over her head and planted them on her lower back "…then don't shake our trees, 'cuz we're William McKinley and we do as we please!"

She stood up straight, turning around to face Kurt and the rest of the cheerleaders. They were apparently stunned into silence.

"I like it," announced Blaine, bouncing excitedly on the spot.

"Great Blaine. Do you think we can do it together now?"

Rachel could tell that Kurt was sensing her distraction. She wasn't as animated about this cheer as she usually was when introducing something new. Truth was, ever since cheating and virtually selling her soul to the devil, Rachel hadn't been in a very good mood.

"Any other comments? Things you think we should add?" she was starting to become angered with their lack of participation.

"I think we should twirl," a bouncy blonde named Brittney announced.

"Of course you do! That's all you ever want to do! Just where should we add a twirl and just what are we twirling?" Rachel asked in exasperation raising her voice.

"Rachel I think you should calm down," Kurt stated quietly sensing the impact of Rachel's outburst. "Maybe we should take a break?" he asked, nodding toward the bleachers behind her. She turned to see Puck watching from the top row. He waved enthusiastically to Rachel when he realized he'd been spotted. Rachel frowned reflexively and felt the color in her cheeks rise.

"Okay you guys take five. I'm sorry Britt I'll find a way to incorporate twirling ok?" she apologized. The blonde nodded cheerfully and bounced away as if the incident never happened.

The squad rushed to the bench to grab her water bottles and towels, and chattered excitedly about Rachel's visitor. Ignoring her thirst Rachel climbed the stands towards Puck.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her expression sullen. He smiled lightly at her.

"Be nice. I'm taking you out remember?" Groaning, she obediently fixed a phony smile on her face and sat next to him. She tried not to flinch when he put his arm around her. "That's better. Play nice for the audience. After all this is just practice till you're on that big shiny stage." He nodded his head toward the group of cheerleaders who were staring at them curiously.

"How was the rest of your lunch?" Rachel asked playing along with the charade and pretending to actually enjoy his company.

"Actually not bad. We expanded our discussion of the hockey team to actual penguins and then moved onto the discussion of polar bears." Puck lied, not wanting to admit that her friends had threatened him with bodily harm if he hurt Rachel.

"That sounds lovely."

"Yup," he agreed. "Listen, when you're done with practice, I thought we could go see a movie."

"I guess," she said unenthusiastically. "I suppose I'll have to drive?"

"Nope I got some wheels."

"Where?" Rachel looked around toward the parking lot across the field.

"There." Puck stated simply, pointing to the far end of the bleachers. Parked on the blacktop, near the chain link fence, was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with gleaming chrome accents, a black leather seat and a tear drop shaped ruby red tank.

"That?"

"Yeah. That. It was my dad's and I needed some wheels so I fixed it up and whella. Have a problem with that?"

"No of course not. It's just that I remember you dying to drive that back in junior high and your dad saying, "Your day will come", Rachel explained, smiling at the memory, but her smile soon faded when she saw Puck's sullen expression.

"Well, my day came the year I got my driver's license, s'not like he was there to stop me." They were silent for a moment before they both nervously looked away

"Well the transportation is covered. What are we seeing?"

"They're showing 'Carrie'. The original, I mean."

His announcement caused her eyes to widen in excitement. She'd never seen 'Carrie' before, despite numerous airings on TV. The movie always seemed to run on nights when she as busy or too tired to stay awake to watch it.

"Where's it showing? I didn't think there were any theaters around here from that era."

He smirked knowingly and patted her on the knee in mick comfort. "I have my ways. The Puckasaurous knows all."

Shaking her head in response, she gave him a playful slap on his arm. As she self-consciously pushed back a stray wisp of her straight, brown hair, Rachel heard a girlish giggle float up from the football field. Her brown eyed gaze moved to the other cheerleaders who appeared to be alternating between looking at the two of them and gossiping amongst themselves; Rachel sent a HBIC death glare at them.

"Ignore them," Puck advised calmly. "We want them to talk about us. Word needs to get out so it's believable."

"Yeah. Okay." There was an awkward pause. Finally, she spoke. "What time does the movie start?"

He checked his phone. "In a little over an hour."

Nodding Rachel stood and moved away from Puck. "All right, guys," she called, heading down towards the field. "Time to get changed. Practice is over."

"But I don't want to be done! I want to twirl!" Brittnay protested as Rachel descended onto the field.

"Fine Britt you can twirl. The rest of us are going to the locker room to change."

Kurt was outside, leaning against the wall next to the girls' locker room when Rachel hurriedly pushed through without noticing him. Frowning he watched as she joined Puck and the two of them climbed onto the motorcycle and drove away. Blaine stood next to the male cheerleader, still watching the taillight of the motorcycle as it faded in the distance.

"What do you think?" Kurt asked.

He looked at him, smiling absently. "About what"?

"Rachel and Puck."

"They're cute."

Kurt nodded thoughtfully, scowling in the direction the couple had taken. "Yeah. But don't you think it's weird? I mean, they hated each other yesterday."

"Love is Blaine," Blaine quoted happily.

"Yeah but it's not deaf and dumb too" Kurt argued. "And it'd have to be for Rachel to go for a guy who bothered her as much as Puck did."

"Kurt, Stop being so cynical. There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness!"

Despite his disagreement, the male cheerleader had to grin as he pushed away from the wall. It always amazed him how philosophical the boy could be when no one was expecting it. He had dimension and that's why he liked him.

"That sounds like another quote. Who is it this time?"

"Friedrich Nietzsche, duh!"

Before Kurt could make the amused comment that leapt to his mind, they were joined by Brittnay twirling, pigtails bouncing wildly.

"You ready Blaine? Time for us to hit the mall."

Blaine nodded and Kurt waved as he watched the pair jog away.

**WELL THERES A LIL KLAINE ACTION FOR YA…MAKE OF IT AS YOU WISH BUT I HAVE PLANS FOR MY FAVORITE PAIR OF UNICORNS LATER IN THE FUTURE! HOPED YOU LIKED IT! LUV YA!**


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